Recently, I researched the University of Montana Mansfield Library’s archival 1889 Carrington Consolidated Map of Indian and Settlers Land in Bitter Root Valley, Montana and 1909 Northern Pacific’s “Uncle Sam Will Give You a Home in the Flathead Indian Reservation, Western Montana.”
Carrington depicted lands as “taken from the Indians” before October 1891 when U.S. horse-mounted military forced the Bitter Root Salish to travel on foot to the Flathead Reserve north of Missoula. Salish farms of 50 years, since the 1841 St. Mary’s Mission arrival of Father Pierre-Jean DeSmet and farming, were immediately auctioned. Soon, in 1909, NP Railroad advertised homesteading on Flathead Reservation.
The artifacts verify Missoula/Ravalli County Deeds (separate in 1893) and my oral history from the 1860’s of great-great-grandmother Eliza Foster Carlton Holden Lavey. Widowed twice, she, with her third husband Lawrence Lavey and her five sons, including Robert Carlton, Sr. (Florence-Carlton area) and Ruben Holden, Sr., (Holden School) bought land from Squire Parker and his Salish wife. He was a “squatter” before the Homestead Act of 1862. Laveys paid this off in the early 1870’s. This is on Larry Lavey namesake, Larry Creek, which runs through U.S. Department of Agriculture Larry Creek Campground. Along with other St. Mary’s Mission members, Laveys wrote to Washington, D.C., to protect the Salish from removal—to no avail.
Simultaneously to my studying, Bitterrooters voiced similar bans against homeless Syrian and Muslim refugees. However, we can better learn from Mother Missoula County’s history where “refugee” families visibly contribute in jobs, businesses, art fairs, farmer markets, parades, construction, etc.
To the Salish, yellow at St. Mary’s Mission altar represents courage. We must continue to live Salish, pioneer, and Missoula strength of courage and compassion to accept new peoples. We are 21st Century Bitterrooters known to wave “Hello,” not 19th Century America. This is Montana.
Cheryl Holden Rice
Stevensville